Book Bingo - Round 8: Set in a Time of War

 War Doctor: Surgery on the Front Line by David Nott

 This week I have chosen the category 'Set in a Time of War'

The book I have chosen for this category is: The War Doctor.

Normally when I think of a book set during a war I immediately turn to books on WWI or WWII however I thought outside my usual genre and picked a non-fiction / biography. David Nott has written a compassionate story of his years as a volunteer surgeon working in hospitals around the world in war torn areas in Afghanistan, Sarajevo, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Sudan, Darfur, Yemen and Gaza. Operating in poorly equipped hospitals with the most basic of instruments.

You can read my full review HERE 

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Book Bingo is a reading challenge hosted by Theresa Smith Writes , Mrs B’s Book Reviews and The Book Muse. The second Saturday of each month book bingo participants reveal which bingo category they have read and what book they chose.  

#BOOKBINGO2020 

Book Review: Reasonable Doubt by Dr Xanthe Mallett

Reasonable Doubt

by

Dr Xanthe Mallett

Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia

Publication date: 28th July 2020

Genre: Non Fiction / Crime

Pages: 272

RRP: $32.99AUD

Format read: Trade paperback

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

About the book

We all put our faith in the criminal justice system. We trust the professionals: the police, the lawyers, the judges, the expert witnesses. But what happens when the process lets us down and the wrong person ends up in jail?

Henry Keogh spent almost twenty years locked away for a murder that never even happened. Khalid Baker was imprisoned for the death of a man his best friend has openly admitted to causing. And the exposure of 'Lawyer X' Nicola Gobbo's double-dealing could lead to some of Australia's most notorious convictions being overturned.

Forensic scientist Xanthé Mallett is used to dealing with the darker side of humanity. Now she's turning her skills and insight to miscarriages of justice and cases of Australians who have been wrongfully convicted.

Exposing false confessions, polices biases, misplaced evidence and dodgy science, Reasonable Doubt is an expert's account of the murky underbelly of our justice system - and the way it affects us all.

My Review

I don't read a lot of non-fiction but crime fiction is one of my favourite reads so I was very interested in Dr Xanthe Mallett's book Reasonable Doubt.

Dr Xanthe Mallett has delivered a story that is both informative and interesting. One of the catch phrases on the cover is: exposing Australia's worst wrongful convictions. I am sure everyone can think of at least one case where the justice system got it all wrong. Lindy Chamberlain's conviction of the murder of her daughter comes to mind, but I was surprised how many times they get it wrong. Mallett covers five cases and also the case of lawyer X (Nicola Gobbo).

"When evidence focuses on guilt testing, to the exclusion of innocence testing, miscarriages of justice occur."

Reasonable  Doubt is a fascinating read. We put our faith in the justice system to protect the innocent but sometimes it goes terribly wrong - coerced confessions, lab errors, prejudice, unreliable evidence, incompetence and corruption are all discussed in the cases covered.

I would rather see the odd criminal go free than to see an innocent person in prison.

The CSI element is engrossing. Dr Mallett explains the introduction of DNA testing which helps to prove both guilt and innocence but even this can sometimes go wrong when human error is included in the mix.

Dr Mallett backs up her case studies with notes from experts in different fields of forensic science; Blood spatter, DNA profiling, forensic linguistics, false confessions, rules of disclosure, allowable evidence.

I read this book with astonishment and a whole lot of unease at how easily even the experts get it wrong sometimes. However, Dr Mallett leaves us with some final words of optimism.

"Don't be depressed, though. These cases are awful and the stories sad. But, generally, our justice system works, and those who have committed crimes are sent to prison, and the innocent are exonerated."

If you are a reader of crime fiction this book will fascinate you as fact is always stranger and much more compelling than fiction.

My Rating 4/ 5     ⭐⭐⭐⭐

About the author

Photo credit Macmillan Aus

Dr Xanthé Mallett is a forensic anthropologist and criminologist, author and television presenter. She has written two previous books: Mothers who Murder(2014) and Cold Case Investigations (2019).

Xanthé is also a forensic practitioner, and works with police forces across Australia assisting with the identification of persons of interest in criminal cases, as well as providing advanced DNA technologies that assist with the identification of long-term deceased victims and suspects.

In addition to her academic and professional work, Xanthé contributes to various true-crime television series, and is a regular contributor to crime news stories for television, radio and print media.

This review is part of the Book Lover Book Review Aussie author challenge

  the Australian Women Writers challenge  and the Non Fiction reader challenge

Book Review: Find Them Dead by Peter James

Find Them Dead

by

Peter James

Publisher: Pan Macmillan

Publication date: 12th May 2020

Series; Roy Grace #16

Genre: Crime / Thriller

Pages: 400

RRP: $32.99

Format read: Trade paperback

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

About the book

Ending his secondment to London's Met Police, Roy Grace gets a tip-off about a county lines drugs mastermind operating out of Brighton. On his first day back in his old job in Sussex, he is called to a seemingly senseless murder.

Separately, five years after the car crash that killed her husband and son, Meg Magellan feels she has her life back together. Her daughter Laura, now eighteen, is on her gap year travelling in South America with a friend, and she is all she has in the world.

When Meg receives a summons for jury service she's excited and feels this will distract her from constantly worrying about Laura. But when she is selected for the trial of a major Brighton drugs overlord, everything changes.

Gradually, Grace's investigation draws him into the sinister sphere of influence of the drug dealer on trial, a man prepared to order the death of anyone it takes to enable him to walk free.

When Meg arrives home one night, she finds a photograph lying on her kitchen table of Laura, in Ecuador. Then the phone rings.

The caller tells her that if she ever wants to see Laura alive again, at the end of the trial, all she has to do is make sure the jury says just two words....Not guilty.

My Review

Find Them Dead is the 16th book in the Roy Grace series. I had no idea this was part of a series and I was well into the book before something came up about Roy's past that appeared to be out of the blue. I'm happy to say it works well as a stand alone. However I think if I had of been following the series from the start it would have bumped my rating up to a 5 star read.

The main plot is the trial of respected lawyer Terence Gready who is suspected of running a major drug importation company, making this novel more legal thriller than police procedural. There are a few minor plot lines that involve cases that Roy is working on.

Peter James explores the theme of jury tampering as one of the jurors receives a call that her daughter will die unless she delivers a not guilty verdict. You may have to suspend disbelief at times as there are hidden cameras and mobile phones in the court room. I have never been on a jury but I'm sure these things would be monitored.

I was on the edge of my seat as Gready's men seemed to be everywhere and know everything. Their terror was far reaching and I couldn't see how Meg could possibly influence the jury.

Short chapters make for a quick read with many chapters ending on a cliff-hanger. I enjoyed the manipulation and the lengths the accused went to, to be assured of a not guilty verdict. Reading Find Them Dead has left me eager to start back at the beginning of the series with Dead Simple.

If you enjoy reading John Grisham you will love Peter James' Roy Grace series!

My rating 4/5     ⭐⭐⭐⭐

About the author

Peter James is one of the UK's most treasured crime and thriller novelists. His Roy Grace detective novels have sold over one and a half million in the UK alone and five million worldwide in total. The series is now translated into 33 languages. He has developed a close working relationship with the Sussex Police over many years, spending an average of one day a week with them and his writing reveals a unique insight into the reality of modern day police work. He has also carried out extensive research with police in Moscow, Munich, Paris, Melbourne, Sweden, New York and Romania, as well as attending international police conferences to ensure he is at the cutting edge of investigative police work. Peter, an established film producer and script writer, has produced numerous films, including The Merchant Of Venice, starring Al Pacino, Jeremy Irons and Joseph Fiennes. A TV adaptation of the Roy Grace series is currently in development, with Peter overseeing all aspects, including the scriptwriting. In 2009 he was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Brighton in recognition of his services to literature and the community.

The Winner of a copy of The Rearranged Life of Oona Lockhart announced

Once again I would like to thank everyone who entered my giveaway for a copy of The Rearranged Life of Oona Lockhart . The giveaway closed on the 29th July and the winner was randomly selected (using Random org) from all correct entries. 

Congratulations to........   Jacky B

Please see my Giveaway tab for more chances to win great books.

Book Review: Mum & Dad by Joanna Trollope

Mum & Dad

by

Joanna Trollope

Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia

Publication date: 31st march 2020

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Pages: 336

RRP: $ 32.99AUD

Format read: Paperback

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

About the book

It’s been 25 years since Gus and Monica left England to start a new life in Spain, building a vineyard and wine business from the ground up. However, when Gus suffers a stroke and their idyllic Mediterranean life is thrown into upheaval, it’s left to their three grown-up children in London to step in . . . Sebastian is busy running his company with his wife, Anna, who’s never quite seen eye-to-eye with her mother-in-law. Katie, a successful solicitor in the City, is distracted by the problems with her long-term partner, Nic, and the secretive lives of their three daughters. And Jake, ever the easy-going optimist, is determined to convince his new wife, Bella, that moving to Spain with their 18-month-old would be a good idea. As the children descend on the vineyard, it becomes clear that each has their own idea of how best to handle their mum and dad, as well as the family business. But as long-simmering resentments rise to the surface and tensions reach breaking point, can the family ties prove strong enough to keep them together?

My review

Joanna Trollope has written an inter-generational family drama that is steeped in regrets, resentment, sibling rivalry and petty jealousies.

At the heart of the story are ageing parents Monica and Gus who 25 years earlier had left England for Spain, where they have created a successful wine business. Over the years Gus has become a grumpy old man, his wines are his life, and he pretty much leaves Monica to do her own thing. She loves Spain but has regrets about leaving her children, in boarding school, all those years ago.

When Gus suffers a debilitating stroke and the family is called in to help out it has them all re-evaluating their relationship with each other.

This dilemma with their parents comes at a time when each of the children have busy jobs and are trying to deal with problems with their own children, their marriages and life in general. The three siblings are not close but the common problem prompts them to come together and be open with each other.

The setting of Spain is beautifully described and I loved how the Spanish people, who worked for Monica and Gus, were so loving and accommodating. More like family than their own children.

Mum & Dad is filled with relatable family dramas and about a topic that is relevant to many families today. Joanna Trollope has once again given her readers an engrossing story with an eye for family dynamics and absorbing character studies.

My rating 4/5             ⭐⭐⭐⭐

About the author

Photo credit Goodreads

Joanna Trollope is the author of many highly acclaimed and bestselling novels, including The Rector's Wife, Marrying the Mistress and Daughters in Law. She was appointed OBE in 1996, a trustee of the National Literacy Trust in 2012, and a trustee of the Royal Literary Fund in 2016. She has chaired the Whitbread and Orange Awards, as well as being a judge of many other literature prizes including chairing the BBC National Short Story Awards for 2017. Mum and Dad is her twenty-second novel. 

Mailbox Monday & Life This Week - July 27th

Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. It now has a permanent home at the Mailbox Monday blog.

Life This Week is a meme created by Denyse Whelan Blogs where bloggers share snaps of what is currently happening in their lives.

Happy Monday!

What has been happening over the last two weeks!

We have been staying home and staying safe this week. So not much happening but it gives us time to slow down and recoup.

I've used the 'stay at home' time to catch up on same knitting projects.

I made this hoodie jacket for my grandson. I bought the wool when we were all in lockdown and most wool stockists were stripped of wool so I didn't have a great choice with texture or colour of wool. I'm yet to buy buttons to finish it off.

This is my first attempt at a topsy-turvy doll. I hope it looks more like a doll and less like a turtle when I add the dress and face. 😀

I have been knitting squares for charity in South Africa. I make them from left over balls of wool and also any odd balls I can pick up at op shops. They are easy to make and I can knit them while watching TV.  It takes 35 squares to make a blanket. I've knitted 16 so far but you don't have to send enough for a full blanket they are happy to accept any amount of squares. Once they receive the squares they are made into blankets by volunteers. You can learn more about this on the website. https://knit-a-square.com/

Books received over the last two weeks:

From the publisher:

Bluebird by Malcolm Knox

A house perched impossibly on a cliff overlooking the stunning, iconic Bluebird Beach. Prime real estate, yet somehow not real estate at all, The Lodge is, like those who live in it, falling apart.

Gordon Grimes has become the accidental keeper of this last relic of an endangered world. He lives in The Lodge with his wife Kelly who is trying to leave him, their son Ben who will do anything to save him, his goddaughter Lou who is hiding from her own troubles, and Leonie, the family matriarch who has trapped them here for their own good.

But Gordon has no money and is running out of time to conserve his homeland. His love for this way of life will drive him, and everyone around him, to increasingly desperate risks. In the end, what will it cost them to hang onto their past?

eBook giveaways from the author:

Wasp Season by Jennifer Scoullar

When Beth’s marriage ends, she’s determined to build a new life in the country for herself and her children. A quiet life lived closer to nature. She thinks she’s achieved the impossible – a civilised separation, a happy home and a cordial relationship with her estranged husband, Mark. There's even the promise of new love on the horizon. But when Mark tries to change the rules, Beth’s peaceful world is turned upside down.

Disturbingly, she also discovers that European wasps have invaded her garden. Beth’s obsession with them and their queen holds up a distorted mirror to the human drama. As the chaos in Beth’s life gathers momentum, connections between the two worlds come sharply into focus. The lives of Beth and the others are neither separate to, nor safe from, the natural world.

Tempt Me by Kally Ash

After returning home from work one night to find his wife gone, Max Parker is left to raise his infant daughter alone. So when a work opportunity arises that sends him across the country, he jumps at the chance of getting a fresh start and a break from all the drama.

Gianna Borello is a model student. Living in New York, she thrives on her academic studies, making her blind to almost everything and everyone else. But an opportunity to get an internship at her dream job is almost derailed when she agrees to meet her roommate's new boss who promises her a short-term nanny position.

Temptation comes in many forms.

I would love to hear what books you received in the mail lately!